Balushahi – Diwali Sweets Recipe

Balushahi is a classic dessert from North India and a perfect sweet for any festive occasion. It is famous not only in India but countries such as Nepal and Pakistan.

Balushahi is crispy from the outside and soft from inside some thing similar to doughnut. They literally just melt in your mouth when had.

In South India Balushahi is called as Badushah and in Gujarat it is known as Sata.

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour (maida or plain flour)

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup butter cold cut into small pieces or cold ghee

1/4 cup cold curd

For Syrup:

1 cups sugar

1/3 cup water

4 cardamom pods crushed

1 tablespoons sliced pistachios for garnishing

Method:

Syrup:

In a sauce pan add water, sugar, and cardamom over medium heat, bring it to a boil. Let it simmer until syrup is almost to one thread. Set aside.

Balushahi

In a bowl mix flour, baking soda and baking powder.

Add mix with your fingers, mixture should be crumby.

Add the yogurt slowly as needed making into soft dough. Do not knead the dough.

Cover the dough and let it sit for about half an hour.

Take the dough and knead just enough to hold it together.

Divide the dough into 12 equal parts.

Make the dough balls, Balls will not be very smooth and will have cracks all around; make a deep dent in the center of the balls.

Heat the oil in a flat frying pan over low heat.

The frying pan should have about 1 ½ inch of oil. To check if oil is ready put a little piece of dough in the oil. It should make oil lightly sizzle, if dough float oil is too hot.

Place the Balushahi in the frying pan don’t overcrowd as Balushahi will expend to about 1-1/2 time and they should not overlap.

It should take about 2 minutes before Balushahi will come up. Wait another 3-4 minutes before turning over Balushahi should be light brown from bottom. Fry the Balushahi until they are golden brown from both sides; do not turn more then three times. This should take about 10 minutes. Balushahi will look very crispy.

Take them out over layered of paper towel so it can absorb the extra oil.

Dip Balushahi in the syrup all around and remove them. Don’t leave them in syrup.

Garnish them with pistachios.

Tip:

If the Balushahi are fried on high heat, they will not be cooked inside. To check whether the syrup is ready or take a drop of syrup on the tip of your first finger and thumb and check it.